Spring suspension



y 1930- 15. RElb 1,758,411

' SPRING SUSPENSION Filed Aug. 19, 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 May 13, 1930- J. E. REID 1,758,411

SPRINQ SUSPENSION Fil A g- 19, 1926- 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 13, 1930.

J. E. REID SPRING SUSPENSION Filed Aug. 19. 1926 (Sheets-Sheet 3 anbwtoz May 13, 1930. J. E. REID 1,758,411

SPRING SUSPENS IQN Filed Aug. 19. 1926 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 of sufficient resistance for a Patented M... 13, 1930 'uu-rrso STATES PATENT orrrc i JOSIAH E. REID,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO INTERNATIONAL MOTOR COH- PANY, OF NEW YORK, Y., A CORPORATION OF DELAWARE SPRING SUSPENSION Application filed August 19, 1926. serial No. 180,180.

The present suspension for vehicles wherein heavy loads are to be carried and wherein the most efficient s ring operation is obtained throughout wi e ranges of loads.

With existing structures the spring is most effective during its middle range of loads and at light or heavy loads it is too stifi or not given deflection. Where two springs are tied together above and below the axle, the resulting eflect is simply that of a more powerful spring. It is to remedy this disadvantage and to provide a structure which will give efiicient operation over a :wide range of loads, that this invention is designed.

More particularly, this invention. deals with motor vehicles having dual rear axles, between which "the load is supported and which have upper and lower sprin secured thereto. A further object, there ore, is to provide a construction which will yieldingly resist pivotal movement of the axles about their center of support.

Reference will now be had to the accomdrawings for a more detailed description of the invention, wherein:

Fi re 1 shows a side elevation, partly broken away, of the spring suspension.

Figure 2 is a view, partly in section, taken on the line 2-2 of Figure 1 and looking in the direction of the arrows.

Figure 3 is a view in section showing the operation of the upper connection when the vehicle is unloaded.

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 3 but illustrating the operation of the suspension when the vehicle is fully loaded.

Figure 5 is a view of the upper spring connection in a modified form.

.Figure 6 is a section on line 6-6 of Fig ure 5.

Figure 7 is a side elevation, artly broken away, showing a further modi cation.

In the drawings (1 represents the channel members of the frame of a motor vehicle having a pivoting axle a secured therebetween. On the outside of the channels and coaxial with the axle, brackets b are secured. Front plates b may be bolted thereto, as by bolts P yne invention relates to spring.

; retained by the brackets.

b and in this manner blocks of yielding non-metallic material, such as rubber, may be A bracket 0 pivoted to the axle a, serves to mount the frame on pivoting axle d, the latter being provided with closed end housings d. Bracket c has its ends formed with bearings c in which the respective shafts are mounted and co-operating bearing sections a and 0 are provided to secure the shafts thereto. These are bolted to the portions 0' by means of bolts 0 and 0".

Upon housings d are formed brackets d between which brackets and plate d, is secured a lower spring 6 by means of bolts d. This spring is connected to the dual axles f and f at their under sides and spring a is connected therebetween at the upper sides of the axles. A bufling seat e is clamped to the thickest part of the spring by means of a co-operatmg clampin member e and bolts c. There is no positive connection between the-spring e and the frame of the vehicle but in order that it comes into play at the proper time a rubber or other cushioning block 9 is mounted on the frame (1 directly above the bufling seats e. As previously described, the brackets 12 form a housing for the rubber block g.

In Figures 3 and 4 the operation of the rubber cushion is shown when the vehicle is unloaded and loaded, respectively. In Figure 3 it willbe seen that the seat 0 does not engage the block 9 under normal conditions and at no load. However, when the truck moves over an obstacle or an irregularity in the road, wherein one axle is higher than the other, the block engages the seat. Under such conditions it will be seen that the rubber flexes considerably into either extreme positionas indicated in dotted lines at w' and y. 7

In Figure 4 the operation is indicated when the vehicle is fully loaded. In this case, there is less flexing, for the rubber engages the seat at all times and in the extreme conditions described above, the flow of the rubber takes place between the seat and the retainter being pointed out In order to give better traction, the axle (Z is mounted on the spring nearer the driving wheels than the trailing wheels and the character of the suspension, during light position, permits the lower spring to be loaded through its good working ranges, while, when heavily loaded, the top spring meets the rubber and comes into play, permitting both springs to operate through their proper middle ranges.

In Figures 5' and 6 a modified form is shown wherein the upper spring rests slidahly upon a bracket 6 secured to the frame. In this form, 'the two springs co-operate to carry the load of the vehicle, and'the upper spring movement is permitted through the slidable connection with the bracket on the frame. g

In the form shown in Figure 7 the lower spring is connected in the above described manner but the upper spring has secured thereto a link 72 which in turn is pivoted to the frame at Z)". This construction permits relative movement of the spring and frame and enables the load to be shared by each spring as in the above modified construction. In all of the forms described above a radius rod 72. spaces the forward axle 7 from the frame a and prevents the assembly from collapsing. This elementisan essential part of the structure since filt 'prevents the forward axle from floppin g jover. Changes in the above design may be made to adapt it to a particular need or modified elements may be employed without departing from the scope of this invention, the latparticularly in the appended claims.

What I claim is: 1. In a spring suspension, a vehicle frame, a pivoting axle secured thereto, a second axle, means to pivotally connect the axes, a pair of axles, a spring connecting the pair of axles and mounted on the second axle, and a second spring connected to the pair of axles at. the sides thereof opposite to the first spring.

2. In a spring suspension, a vehicle frame, a pivoting axle secured thereto, a second axle, means to pivotally connect the axles, 'a pair of axles, a spring connecting the pair of axles and mounted on the second axle at a point on thespring of unequal distance from the respective axles of the pair, and a second spring connected to the pair of axles at the sides thereof opposite to the first spring";

3. In a spring suspension, a vehicle frame, a 1pivoting axle secured thereto, a second ax e, means to pivotally connect the axles, a pair of axles, a spring connecting the pair of axles and mounted on the second axle, a

second spring connected to the pair of axles at the sides thereof opposite to the first spring, and means to connect the'second spring with the frame.

4. In a spring suspension, a vehicle frame, a pivoting axle secured thereto, a second axle, means topivotally connect the axles, a pair of axles, a spring connecting the pair of axles and mounted on the second axle, a second spring connected to the pair of axles at the sides thereof opposite to the first spring, and independent means to connect the second spring with the frame.

5. In a spring suspensioma vehicle frame, a pivoting axie secured thereto, a second axle,

means to pivotally connect the axles, a pair of axles, a spring connecting the pair of axles and mounted on the second axle, a second spring connected to the pair of axles at thesides thereof opposite to the first spring, a butting seat on the second spring, a buffer on the frame, and'means to cause the seat to engage the buffer when one axle is moved out of the horizontal plane of the axles due to irregularities in the road surface.

6. In a spring suspension for dual rear axles, a vehicle frame, two independent tive axles, and means whereby said second spring is engageable by the frame independently of the first named spring.

8. In a spring suspension for dual rear axles, a vehicle frame, a spring at each side of the frame lying in the same vertical plane .as the first spring and secured to the respecas the first spring and secured to the respective axles, means pivoted to the frame to secure said spring thereto, a second spring secured to the respective axles, and means whereby said second spring is engageable by the frame independently of the first named spring.

9. In a spring suspension for dual rear axles, a vehicle frame, a spring at each side of the frame secured thereto and to the respective axles, and a second spring lying in the same vertical secured to the respective axles and normally spaced from the frame, said second spring being engageable by the frame upon predetermined deflection of the first named spring.

10. In a spring suspension for dual rear axles, a vehicle frame, two independent springs at each side of the frame having their ends secured to the axles, respectively, meansplane as the first spring and means I to enga the frame with the other spring interme iate its ends and in the same transverse vertical plane as the first engaging means.

This specification signea this 17th day of August, A. -D. 1926.

- JOSIAH E. REID. 

